10 things to know about the new parking plan

Sep. 3, 2013

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Will Cincinnati’s new parking system become known as “Parkopolis”? The port authority and its private partners that have leased Cincinnati’s parking system are discussing “Parkopolis” as the group’s name.

Recently, the port authority announced proposed changes to the plan based on input from community and small-business leaders. As the Port Authority of Greater Cincinnati’s 75-day, deal-vetting process officially ends Wednesday, the economic development agency is still working to finalize critical parts of the plan – bond documents and the contract with Xerox, the company that will operate meters.

Here are 10 things you should know right now about the parking plan:

1. Lawsuits could delay the new parking system, and possibly stop the deal altogether.

The Citizens Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes (COAST) is planning to file a lawsuit against the city this week – possibly today – claiming the city administration made material changes to the lease agreement that should be subject to City Council approval. Further, the Ohio Supreme Court still has before it the decision whether to accept an appeal of another lawsuit that citizens filed to subject the parking deal to a vote of the people.

2. If you get the boot, you also have to give it the boot.

Xerox would have the authority to immobilize a vehicle with a boot if a reading of the license plate number reveals the owner has three or more outstanding parking infractions, according to the lease agreement between the city and port authority. The driver would be responsible for removing and returning the boot. A phone number would be provided on the boot to call to pay off outstanding parking tickets.

Then, a digital code would be provided to remove the boot from the vehicle – in just a few minutes. The driver also would be informed about a designated drop-off location.

3. Parking in neighborhoods would still be free after 6 p.m.

Neighborhood and small-business leaders fought to keep the meter-enforcement hours as they are today. The port authority listened and proposed continuing to enforce meters until 6 p.m., instead of expanding them to 9 p.m. as currently defined in the lease agreement. The meter-enforcement hours will not be official until the Xerox contract is done.

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Generally, neighborhood meters would be enforced from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Saturday across all neighborhoods. There are some exceptions on the enforcement start time. For example, neighborhood meters currently enforced starting at 7 a.m. will remain that way.

4. Hours will be in the hands of a five-person committee.

A yet-to-be-formed parking advisory committee will have the ability to change the meter-enforcement hours to earlier than 7 a.m. and later than 9 p.m., according to the lease agreement. It would require a unanimous vote of the five-person advisory committee, which will include three members of the port authority board, a representative from the system’s asset manager and the city manager (or a representative appointed by the city manager).

5. You may have 10-minute-only meters in front of your dry cleaners and coffee shop.

The port authority has proposed a limited number of 10-minute-only meters to be installed in front of some businesses that rely on in-and-out customers, such as dry cleaners and coffee shops. The meters would have a charge, which hasn’t yet been determined. The port authority plans to work with neighborhood leaders and small-business owners to identify areas where 10-minute meters could help with customer turnover.

6. Free parking! (But don’t get too excited.)

The port authority’s plan is for Sundays and holidays to remain free, although nothing in the lease agreement mandates that. Also, the port authority recently proposed a 10-minute free option remain on Downtown meters. Currently, you can park free for the first 10 minutes on most Downtown meters, and then pay for additional time. Under the new system, a user would choose to park for 10 minutes free, but would not have the option to pay for additional minutes. If a user plans to park for longer than 10 minutes, then the user is to pay for the entire stay at the meter.

7. Meters would be enforced until 9 p.m. inside the zones.

Two parking “zones” in Downtown and Over-the-Rhine would be created. Meter-enforcement hours would be 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday in the Downtown zone, which extends from Mehring Way along the Ohio River north to Central Parkway, west to Elm Street and east to Sycamore Street. Rates inside the zone would remain $2 per hour at the launch of the new system. Meter-enforcement hours would be 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday in the Over-the-Rhine zone that extends from Central Parkway north to Liberty Street, west to Elm Street, east to Walnut Street. Rates inside that zone would be 75 cents per hour. In areas directly surrounding the zones, neighborhood hours (8 a.m.-6 p.m.) would apply.

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8. Almost all meters would have two-hour time limits but extend to four-hour limits in the Downtown and Over-the-Rhine zones at night.

Right now, a mix of one-hour and two-hour meters exist across the parking system. The new plan calls for most meters to have a two-hour time limit, except in rare instances where some meters already have different time limits because a business owner has worked out an arrangement with the city. (For example, there are places where four-hour, 30-minute and 10-minute meters currently exist.)

Also, the port authority has proposed meters in the Downtown and Over-the-Rhine zones be extended to four-hour time limits after 5 p.m. to accommodate people dining out and attending entertainment venues.

9. Changes would begin to take effect in February.

On Feb. 1, new meter-enforcement hours would take effect in the Downtown and Over-the-Rhine zones. Throughout February and March, meter upgrades would be made across neighborhoods, and new rates (75 cents per hour) would take effect as each meter is upgraded. There will be no specific launch date for the neighborhood system. The port is considering a 2- to 4-week grace period in which it doesn’t plan to enforce new parking restrictions strictly.

10. Keep in mind: So much of the plan remains up in the air.

The $92 million up-front and $3 million annual payments due to the city under the lease agreement are defined in terms of the bond documents. Those documents, along with the Xerox contract, aren’t expected to be finalized until October. The 137-page lease agreement is worded in which several parts of the plan aren’t guaranteed. The city isn’t guaranteed to receive an annual payment; the lease is void of a detailed operating plan; the amount of the city’s up-front payment is not guaranteed. The advisory committee can change hours and rates.

“This thing is Swiss cheese,” said Kevin Flynn, a longtime real estate attorney and adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Law. Flynn, a Charter-endorsed candidate for City Council, has thoroughly reviewed the lease agreement. “It’s possible this will turn out well,” he said, “but there are lots of ifs that should have already been nailed down.” Officials with the port authority and city have said the lease allows flexibility to make changes. ■